Kams Kapsules: Movies Opening Christmas Day

 BIG BUDGET FILMS   

47 Ronin (PG-13 for intense violence, disturbing images and mature themes) Martial arts saga, set in 18^th C. Japan, about a biracial outcast (Keanu Reeves) who joins a group of grieving samurai seeking vengeance for the murder of their sensei. With Ko Shibasaki, Hiroyuki Sanada and Min Tanaka. (In English and Japanese with subtitles)

August: Osage County (R for profanity, sexual references and drug use) Meryl Streep heads an A-list cast in this adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, about a dysfunctional Oklahoma clan’s reunion for the funeral of its self-destructive patriarch (Sam Shepard). Ensemble includes Julia Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, Margo Martindale, Ewan MaGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney and Julianne Nicholson. 

Grudge Match (PG-13 for violence, sexuality and profanity) Sly Stallone and Robert De Niro co-star in this comedy about a couple of aging boxers coaxed out of retirement for a rematch three decades after their first scheduled bout was canceled. With Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin and Kim Basinger.   

Justin Bieber’s Believe (PG for brief profanity and mature themes) Reverential biopic offering a revealing, behind-the-scenes look at the 19 year-old pop icon. Featuring appearances by Usher, Will.i.Am and Ellen Degeneres. 

Lone Survivor (R for graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Adaptation of Marcus Luttrell’s (Mark Wahlberg) memoir recounting his harrowing ordeal as a member of a team of Navy SEALs ambushed by the Taliban while on a mission in the mountains of Afghanistan. With Eric Bana, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch.  

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG for violence, crude humor and mild epithets) Ben Stiller directed and stars as the title character of this remake of the 1947, Danny Kaye classic based on the James Thurber story about a mild-mannered milquetoast with a fertile imagination. Support cast includes Kristen Wiig, Jon Daly, Kathryn Hahn and Shirley MacLaine. 

The Wolf of Wall Street (R for violence, graphic nudity, explicit sexuality, drug use and pervasive profanity) Cautionary biopic recounting the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a notorious penny stockbroker convicted of securities fraud in 2003. With Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Rob Reiner and Jon Favreau.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS 

The Invisible Woman (PG-13 for sexuality, mature themes and brief violence) Historical drama revolving around Charles Dickens’ (Ralph Fiennes) clandestine relationship with the mistress (Felicity Jones) he kept hidden from the height of his career until his death. With Kristin Scott Thomas, Michelle Fairely and Tom Hollander.